Video: Unhinged in Venezuela
Iris Varela is a Hugo Chavez stooge lawmaker in Venezuela who, as Daniel at Venezuela News and Views notes, “once considered joining the FARC in Colombia.” She had a meltdown yesterday on the set of an anti-Chavez journalist’s television program–and began physically attacking him.
These intimidation tactics are par for the course among Chavistas. Watch:
Maybe she heard one of those “Shut up” Chavez ringtones and snapped.
A Venezuelan lawmaker repeatedly slapped a journalist in the face during a television program Tuesday, accusing him of slander after he wrote about the death of her infant son years ago.
Congresswoman Iris Varela stormed onto the set of Gustavo Azocar’s morning program on Tachira Regional Television, shouting: “I’m demanding a right of reply from this man who has offended me all the time on this program.”
The on-air confrontation, in which Varela slapped Azocar several times and then hit him with the microphone, grabbed national attention in Venezuela and is likely to generate a wider debate in the country about free speech issues and the news media.
Azocar is an outspoken critic of leftist President Hugo Chavez, and Varela is one of Chavez’s close allies in the National Assembly.
The lawmaker said her outrage had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with a dishonorable airing of her private life. Azocar recently wrote a book in which he recounted the death of Varela’s infant son in a hospital in the early 1990s and called it a determining event in her life.
“He’s offended me and he meddled with the most sacred thing, my dead son, and that’s why I came,” Varela said, holding the microphone after snatching it from Azocar.
He held up his eyeglasses, which were broken from an initial blow, exclaiming, “How about this?” Then he said, “Let me do the program.”
“You’ve slandered me. … Apologize!,” she shouted. After several minutes of ranting, Varela hit him on the head with the microphone and stormed away saying, “Continue with your show!”
“What he’s written deserves a trial,” she said later.
Azocar said afterward that he holds Varela, the state governor and Chavez himself responsible “for anything, God forbid, that could happen to me or my three sons” as a result.
Fellow Hugo Chavez admirer and slap-happy physical abuser Naomi Campbell approves.
***
More reax:
Kate at A Colombo-Americana’s Perspective: “A complete disgrace.”
Val at Babalu Blog calls Varela’s snit fit “A Venezuelan Acto de Repudio, live and on camera.”
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Do we know what he wrote about her son that was slanderous?
He wrote that the death of her son shaped her life.
Clearly, it’s a pretext for knocking around one of her fiercest foes.
Clearly.
Bruja=Spanish for witch.
Thug=universal term for leftist bullies.
Both apply.
I also couldn’t help but compare that scene to Jerry Springer. I hope that is not one of our exports to the rest of the world…
I smell (no pun intended) jenkem abuse.
Heck. These intimidations tactics are par for most loon toon leftist moonbats at many American universities!
Is Azocar in prison yet?
Dang, she’s crazy! Kudos to him for not losing his temper and hitting her back.
Sounds like the normal behavior of a confirmed leftist. I guess it has to do with their inability to be rational because they can on feel instead of think.
on should be “only.” I type therefore I screw up.
Un perra loca! Usted no me dice, yo lo digo!
She invaded his space.
Does Venezuela have laws against assault? Also, was she an invited guest or did she just invade the TV set?
In any sane country with a real democratic government, this loon would be arrested and charged with assault. Chavez, however, will probably give her the “medal of socialism.” That’s the one he probably gave to the thugs who shot the student protesters a couple of weeks ago.
Loser!!!!
I watched this on Fox News this morning and wondered why he didn’t hit her back. It’s not being “honorable” to let someone hit you and not defend yourself. Bullies like her will keep hitting a person who doesn’t defend himself and he will lose the respect of people who see this. This may not seem politically correct to people but is, I think, reality.
My parents brought me up to never hit a lady. If I were in Azocar’s shoes, I might have been tempted to redefine what it is to be a lady and smack her back.
Typical leftist reaction. The entire world is supposed to stop spinning and validate her anger.
Azocar exercised remarkable self control and allowed that deranged lunatic to show his audience the true face of Chavez supporters.
“Por que!?”
“Por que!?”
“Por que!?”
His response should have been “butter”
/old joke referencing even older TV commercial
Not clear why these folks didn’t put her in check when she knocked over the first table?
#18 – that talking butter tub use to freak me out BIG time.
I feel sorry for her husband
Because he got what he wanted, an increase in viewers and a crazy Chavez supporter showing her true colors.
My Spanish isn’t very good, but I thought his response translated roughly to, “Ahhh, my little empanada, such fire in your eyes and in your words and in your heart!”
Either that or he’s quoting Captain Roy Dupree of the 8063 when he said, “Well, maybe not THAT much spunk!”
Chavezs’ Venezuela is going to have a bloody ending.
Liberals poison everything.
Me thinks she has spent too much time with Chavez’s friend Naomi Cambell.
She knows that she is immune to prosecution.
She is the oppressor.
If she were going to a U.S. American college she’d be hitting Ann Coulter in the face with a pie.
If the lefties get what they ultimately want, they will be doing this in the U.S. one day.
Remember:
“Hate speech isn’t free speech” + “Michelle Malkin spouts nothing but hate speech” = “Michelle Malkin doesn’t deserve free speech”
There actually isn’t much difference between her and Cynthia McKinney.
I didn’t think that there were any non-Chavista voices left on Venezuelan media. Clearly, purging them is still a work in progress.
Ironic that dictators and their thugs engage in dishonarable acts while claiming that someone else has “dishnored” them. Maybe it’s a Latin thing, like the “Dignity Battalions” that were roaming around Panama terrorizing the populace before we kicked Noriega out.
“No me taze, Her’!”
(apologies, Google translation…)
I’m sure there was a bit more than just self control involved on Azocar’s part. Varela knew that she could act with impunity. Had Azocar defended himself he would be giving Chavez the cause to charge him with hitting a congresswoman or worse. It’s possible she did it simply to provoke him into hitting her.
Something tells me this isn’t just hyperbole on his part.
Loco senora, for sure. I think he didn’t hit her back because he didn’t want to be thrown into prison by Huge-O! Don’t mess with a loco leader.
PS: FlyingTigress and AlohaGuy, hilarious comments, BTW.
Happy Thanksgiving, MM readers.
I don’t agree with this. Every one knew this woman was crazy in the first 15 seconds of her attack. He didn’t need to let it go on to show it more. There comes a time when knowing something is bad is not enough, a time when action is necessary. It’s all well and good to sit in one’s armchair and feel smug for being on the side of sanity and reason but there comes a time when ideas no longer suffice and a person must put their beliefs into action and put a stop to bad behavior. This is obviously just my opinion but I believe strongly that the natural progression is for ideas to turn into action and if this doesn’t happen, they fester and abscess.
Nobody can’t tell her NUTHIN’!
Get ready, cause this will be the future here with Liberals.
They are an aggressive bunch these ‘progressives/communists’. I call them aggressive progressives! Remember ‘progressive’ was the term created by the communists in the 50′s so they could fly under the radar.
They do not want freedom of speech at the Universities and will be come violent to get their point across.
Look for the liberals in 10 years to start marching into the Talk Radio and start getting physical. Watched O’Reilly cause Laura Ingraham was on and there was a liberal nitwit that couldn’t get her talking points out fast enough. She didn’t want to answer the questions and couldn’t get her talking points out with out her whole body quivering with passion. I really did think that any minute she was going to slap Laura!!
I think #30 has it, too, that this was an attempt to provoke to throw this guy into jail.
#32, natural progression is for thoughts to turn to action? Only, if you do not have any self control! Controlling the natural animal instinct is what transcends us from being merely animals to Humans.
The future is here now. Just look at our homegrown loons who rush college stages, throw pies and other items, threaten government officials (Rice), have tantrums, etc. Restraint is not in their vocabulary.
moonbat
She’s a woman, however unhinged. The proper response to this sort of harassment is 1) Warn: “Please do not do that again; 2) Restrain: place the antagonist in a position that prevents further violence, such as up against the wall or down on the ground and, if that isn’t possible; 3) Disable: forcibly eject the antagonist if possible, if not, render her unconcious with a sharp blow to the head or helpless by breaking a limb, hand or foot.
If you must resort to #2 or #3, I suggest that #4 be a trip in the bottom of the next watermelon truck leaving the country. Bring your things.
Do they get broadcasts of Hannity & C…(Eww!) I can’t bear to even say his name. Anyway, she looks like she’s been watching OUR liberals on television…notice how she talks non-stop? And the anger?
Imagine the rant…”How dare you say I’m una persona violenta….I keel you for that!!! Muerte…muerte…Un hombre de nombre, Carlos Rove, es un grande baboso!!! Viva la revolucion!! Viva El Supremo (Chavez)!!!”
Maybe Sean can get her booked as a guest, and make his co-host happy. Ah, socialism at it’s best…a wonderful thing, no?
Immolate
You forgot #5; Make her do the “funky chicken”; A.K.A. apply a carotid restraint.
Speaking of which, I went on a ride on my bike (Suzuki C50) yesterday. Thought about riding over near the Port of Olympia to see if there were any other anti-idiotarians needing help.
Didn’t. Saw some freeway signs for “The Evergreen State College” that were crying out for some supplemental signs(“College for Slackers”, “Moonbat U”, “College for Emotionally Stunted Marxists”).
But, to provide some perspective for others here, there, near the Marvin Road exit from I-5 (in Lacey — right next door to Olympia) I found a relatively new statue commemorating “our military families” – out at a public street intersection, showing a soldier holding his young child, standing next to his wife.
**sniff** Washington State residents aren’t entirely moonbattish.
You mean the bride of skeletor?
I watch very little television (documentaries and sports mostly), but has anyone else noticed how often women hit men in a lot of todays programs?
#40-glad to hear about the statue, hope the lunatics don’t destroy it.
Saw this clip on Fox News and it really was something to see. I can Hillary doing this.
uhangtight said:
Misquoting me by substituting your word for mine in my comment is dishonest and a liberal tactic. I no longer take you seriously.
jungatheart #32 & #44-
What are you suggesting Azocar should have done?
I believe a person always has the right to defend themself. As someone else posted, he could have incapacitated her by wrestling her to the floor. As a last resort, he could have punched her but I would have liked for him to do something rather than let an insane person repeatedly beat up on him. The argument that he was in fear of reprisal is, to me, a valid one. But, if anyone feels they no longer have the right to defend themself without reprisal, it’s time to emmigrate. Unfortunately I see this happening in the United States in places too.
The left in this country has already taken the step into oppression. In thier eyes only they are right and only they have the right to act out.
As pointed out on collage grounds around the nation. They storm stages, out shout the p.a. systems, slander/libel speakers of a different opinion. They have attacked conservtives. A pie in the face is no different from punching some one. This is still assault.
The hollywood elitests are no where to be found as if they were to speak out it would demonstrate thier support of these actions and the dictatorship of Hugo Chavez.
In response to defending ones self. Bruce Lee was correct.Non aggression is aggression. It would have been very simple to use this deranged womans momentum to make her look sillier then she already was. Simple side step or duck with a defensive push and she would have fallen flat time and time again.
The sad part is we are discussing how he should have defended himself and not on what we can do to prevent more of these tactics being used against sane people.
Why were they so afraid of her? It looked like there were security MEN there. Handcuff her, throw a strait jacket on her and send her to an asylum.
Typical.
The sad thing is that this was over a story where the reporter discussed the death of her child.
So instead of suing him or writing a stern letter, this lunatic went on his show and assaulted him.
I guess in Venezuela, a friend of Chavez doesn’t have to be accountable under the law.
If this happened in the US, she would be in jail, charged with assault and battery, then sued in civil court for damages.
Someone needs to tell this woman that her behavior is completely unacceptable.
I also think that he was well within his rights to slap that yutz right back.
I’d of slugged her.
And where the hell was security that day, on a smokebreak?
Imagine if Bill Clinton did this during the interview on Fox news when he flipped out…..
Ah yes, the wonderful typical intolerant leftist rears it’s ugly face once again.
When are we going to just start kicking their stupid hypocrite a$$es? May I please push the button so we can get it going? It’s going to happen the way things are going so why wait? The left are disgusting!
Or on The View.
It’s all part of an intimidation campaign leading up to the vote in a couple of weeks that will codify Chavez’s dictatorial powers and overthrow the constitution.
The students who were shot last week by “independent” leftist militiamen while coming home from a demonstration are also part of this program. Other instances of brutality occur and aren’t as widely reported; threats, break ins, and other tactics against anyone who dares raise a voice in opposition,
The more I look at it, the more I’m convinced that Chavez’s “socialism” is just the same old Latin American dictator stuff wrapped up in rhetoric that will garner him instant international support with the lefties.
He’s not going to turn his cronies’ businesses over to the state but rather absorb smaller, middle class businesses and a few corporations. And of course, he will use the army to keep everyone in line.
The more things change…
I’ll bet you the KosKids are finding some ‘justifiable reason’ for what this woman did then applauding her for speaking truth to power and fighting the Conservatives (imitates Rush’s liberal voice) ‘mean-spirited-ness and lack of compassion and empathy’.
Where was security? Don’t they have rent-a-cops in Venezuela? That lunatic should never have made it in front of the camera.
But once she did, and started smacking the host, he would have been totally justified in smacking her back, IMHO, because its wrong to discriminate on the basis of gender.
Everyone has an equal right to an *ss-whoopin’.
que cosa tan rara. no normal con isquerdistas. A Congresswoman McKinney moment?
Clearly had it coming.
Looks like the Red Guards are alive and well in Venezuela…
Wow, she is their Hillary.
She has ultimate moral authority. She has lost a child. How dare they not let her speak in any way she sees fit. After all, she lost her son. She is the Venezuelan Cindy Sheehan. I say she find a ditch somewhere and camp out, demanding to speak to this journalist, demanding that she be allowed an audience so that he be allowed to explain himself for his unjust article for oil.